Savings bank



Aug. 19,1947. K. .1. GRAY SAVINGS BANK Filed Sept. 50, 1944 ATTORNEY J GPA), IN VEN TOR.

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Application September 30, 1944, Serial No. 556,509

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to saving banks adapted for use by individuals for the accumulation and safe keeping of coins of given denomination, but particularly dollars, and has for an object the provision of a unique structure having a tubular body arranged for the reception of coins only of the same denomination which is mounted in an erect position and is formed with peripheral apertures through which the coins may be observed, together with graduations adjacent certain of the perforations for indicating the height of a contained column of coins in both units of feet and inches and dollar values.

An object is to provide a coin bank in the form of a vertical column of substantial rigidity and weight which is adapted to !be portably held on the floor of a room, with unit of height indications thereon and longitudinal slots diametrically formed therein through which a ruler or straight edge may be inserted on the top of the collected column of coins for reconciling the height of the column of coins with the height of 'a growing child or person. Thus, the bank may be used for the collection and saving of a requisite number of coins to correspond to and keep pace with the growth of a child, as evidenced by frequent or occasional comparisons.

It is well known that coins of the United. States are of uniform thickness and that dollars, for instance, closely if not actually approximate onetenth of an inch in thickness. Hence, each inch of height will correspond to ten one dollar coins of new mintage. The height of the column from the floor is therefore graduated in dollars or inches (or subdivisions of inches) and is so formed with peripheral apertures that the accumulated coins are at all times observable.

For instance, assuming that upon the birth of a child its parents desire to institute a savings account for the child's benefit, a sufiicient number of coins would be deposited in the bank to correspond to the then height of the child, and at frequent intervals the collection would be increased in proportion to the growth of the child until the child became of such a height as to equal that of the column. At such time a substantial accumulation of silver dollars, or other coins, will have been accumulated under the observation of the child and others and will provide a fund for education or other objectives.

A further object is to provide a bank of the character mentioned which is so formed as to prevent the abstraction of coins therefrom except by mutilation of the bank, inasmuch as all of the parts forming the bank are permanently attached and require forcible disassociation of one or more of the parts to effect the removal of the coins or any of them from the bank. Still other objects may appear as the description of my bank progresses.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a small scale elevational View;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the same partly broken away and partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational View of the coin column;

Fig. 4 is a top end view of the coin column; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, cross sectional views on lines 5-5 and 66 of Fig. 2.

The bank in its preferred form consists of a base I, a tubular metal column 2 attached to the base, 'and a top 3, secured together by suitable means for preventing access to the interior of the column for any purpose except by mutilation of the parts. Base I has a large fiat flange 4 adapted to rest upon a supporting surface such as the floor of a room and an upstanding cylindrical collar 5 into which the lower end of a tubular column 6 extends to a point abutting the bottom 1 either formed-0n or attached to the bottom of the column or forming an integral part of the base I. The lower end, of the column 6 may be threaded or press fitted into the bore 8 of collar 5 and then Welded or soldered or otherwise sealed to the collar as at 9 around the upper end of the collar, as shown in Fig. 2.

Column 6 is preferably of about average adult height as measured from the upper surface of its base I and is closed and sealed at its top by closure 3 which has a coin slot l0. Said closure may be permanently affixed to the top of the column by a suitable means so that it may not be removed from the column without mutilation or distortion, and the slot l0 therein is precisely cut to permit the insertion of a coin of given denomination under reasonable pressure, but not of such size as to permit the withdrawal of a coin therethrough.

I provide a. vertical series of perforations ll,

. 3 II, etc, at least on one side but preferably, as shown, on diametrically opposite portions of the periphery of the column which are of such size and frequency as to correspond to a given number of coins or of which there may be a given number per inch of height. I also provide diametrically opposite slots I2 and I3 on column 6 which extend upward from the top of collar to the top of the column. Column 6 is provided with a scale of graduations l4 [adjacent the margins of slot I2 and forming a height scale divided into feet, inches and fractions thereof, and representing measurements from the floor or the top of flange 4, as the case may be. Said column also has formed thereon a scale of coin values I ia indicated in dollars and fractions thereof adjacent slot I3.

Preferably, adjacent each foot designation, or more frequently if desired, I provide inserts I5 in slots I2 and I3 for limiting the extent which a number of coins may be moved in the column, as by means of thin bar or slat, to less-than the space between adjacent inserts, thereby reducing the possibility of forcibly removing the coins through coin slot I0 by careful manipulation and application of pressure to one or more coins at a time. At this point it may be understood that the slots l2 and I3 are of less width than the thickness of even worn coins and thus the coins may not at any time be removed from the column through said slots.

, The inside diameter of column 6 corresponds closely to the diameter of a coin of a particular denomination. It is therefore obvious that the size or height of the column may depend upon a particular coin for which it is adapted. I prefer to form the column of such internal diameter as will accommodate silver dollars for the reason that such coinsespecially when newclosely approximate if not precisely equal when arranged in a stack of ten coins per inch of height, or one hundred and twenty dollars per foot. Other coins, of course, would be in proportion and the reference to the height scale I l and the then number and value of the coins (C) in the bank noted. If the height of the coin stack is less than that of the child a requisite number of additional coins may be deposited in the bank until the stack is raised in height to that of the child.

Measurements may be made as by means of a thin ruler or bar extended through the slots I2 and I3 as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. By placing the ruler (R1) horizontally on the top of a stack of coins with a child standing in position under or adjacent the lower edge of the ruler comparisons are readily made and additions to the coins determined, if any.

Certain of the advantages of the present invention will appear from a reading of the foregoing portion of the description. Other advantages arise from the provision of the top surface of the flange 4 to be disposed in the same horizontal plane as the top surface of the base 1. This con- 'struction eliminates the necessity of making an Other advantages of the invention arise from the provision of two diametrically disposed narrow slots I2 in the wall of the column 6. By this construction it is possible to insert a suitable thin straight member entirely through the column to rest on top of the head of the child associated with the savings bank and quickly learn without measurements and calculations if more coins are needed to bring the condition (height of coins) of the savings bank up to where it should be at any certain time, as on the childs birthday.

Still other advantages arise from the provision of the holes I I in the wall of the column 6. This construction facilitates manipulating coins in the bank which have not fallen flat on top of the next lower coins so as to make them lie entirely flat, which is important in practicing my invention. In a savings bank of the kind described herein, there will likely be some coins that will first come to rest on their edges.

I claim:

1. A savings bank of the character described, including a vertical hollow column having an inlet adjacent the upper end thereof for receiving one coin at a time of a selected size and value, a level base for said column on which the first coin deposited therein will lie, a flange element of said base extending outwardly from said column in the same plane therewith, said flange being wide enough to aiford standing room thereon for portions at least of the feet of a child associated with the column for the purpose set forth, two diametrically positioned lengthwise slots in the wall of said column narrower than the thickness of the selected coins deposited in said bank, said slots permitting the insertion of a thin straight, stick-like member through said column while resting on the topmost coin in said bank for determining without calculations when the stack of coins in said column is of the same height as that of the child associated with said savings bank.

2. A saving bank of the character described comprising: a base, an elongated hollow column vertically disposed thereon and fixed thereto against removal therefrom, said column being adapted to receive a stack of coins of like denomination resting on said base, said column having peripheral apertures through which the accumulated coins are visible, and an extension for said base which projects beyond said column in the same horizontal plane therewith for the purpose set forth.

3. A saving bank of the character described comprising: a base, an elongated hollow column vertically disposed thereon and fixed thereto against removal therefrom, said column being adapted to receive a stack of coins of like denomination resting on said base, said column having peripheral apertures through which the accumulated coins are visible, and a scale of graduations on the exterior of said column for visibly indicating the value of the accumulated coins or the height of the stack of coins from the top surface of the base, and a flange-like extension for said base in the same horizontal plane therewith for the purpose set forth.

4. A savings bank of the character described, including a vertical hollow column having an inlet adjacent the upper end thereof for receiving coins one at a time of a selected value and size, and means including lengthwise slot elements in said column for determining without vertical measurements and/or calculations when the height of coins in said column is the same as the 5 height of a. growing child associated with said. Number savings in the manner set forth. V 207,300 KENNETH J. GRAY. 766,995 1,110,174 REFERENCES CITED 5 The following references are of record in the Number file of th1s patent: 433,171 UNITED STATES PATENTS 513,436 Number Name Date 10 $80257 929,216 Hawley 1. July 27, 1909 64,918

Name Date Pearson Aug. 20, 1878 Gorin Aug. 9, 1904 Zander Sept. 8, 1914 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Aug. 24, 1926 Germany Nov. 27, 1930 Great Britain Sept. 15, 1932 Switzerland. Jan. 2, 1932 

